Flight to Europe

[Globaliser]

It varies significantly with Transat. It is not unusual for them to have a sale and offer a discount vs buying ten seep rate flights.

Yes, prices will of course vary all the time.

 

But the phenomenon of getting a round-trip ticket for less than the cost of two one-way tickets isn't limited to sales. Nor is that phenomenon limited to open-jaw itineraries. It is probably the case that a round-trip (or open-jaw) ticket is usually cheaper than buying two one-ways simply because that is the nature of the pricing of one-way tickets, even on Air Transat.

[iancal]

No doubt you are correct. For us currency plays a huge part.

 

Two years ago we booked return to Bangkok 14 days prior to departure. $750USD and about the same $750 CAD as I recall.

 

This year we booked 60 days out for the same, about $750. But that became approx$1018 CAD at time of booking. Did the price go up?

 

Last year we paid $1025 CAD for the same trip. Did the price go down slightly this year compared to last?

 

Cathay just announced a huge bump in operating profit thanks to reduced fuel costs. But prices have certainly not come down on the YVR-HKG route.

[mickeysgal]

OP...keep checking those flights. We just finally got our flights from ATL to Stockholm and then back from Amsterdam ... June/July 2016...prices dropped $300+ each person yesterday. We were exactly 100 days out from our trip date. Lufthansa and combo flight of United/Air Canada had great rates. Maybe these airlines are running sales to Barcelona too. Keep checking, multiple times a day...good luck and enjoy your trip.

[pinotlover]

Last Fall we went Nashville to Madrid then on to Granada on AA and Iberia. We choose to travel AA because we could get seat assignments up front. It's not as easy with Iberia.

 

Something to consider. See if you can get a cheap flight into Madrid and take the fast train from Madrid to Barcelona. It's a scenic ride and may have better connections than waiting for a plane connection.

 

You may have well waited to late. Planes to Europe are booking up fast for this summer. We're off to China in less than a couple of months. Ticket prices are significantly higher than we paid last summer and the plane is now nearly completely booked. We're in BC and even though they're still selling tickets, the seating charts shows no BC seats available. No motivation to lower prices at this point.

[FlyerTalker]

OP...keep checking those flights. We just finally got our flights from ATL to Stockholm and then back from Amsterdam ... June/July 2016...prices dropped $300+ each person yesterday. We were exactly 100 days out from our trip date. Lufthansa and combo flight of United/Air Canada had great rates. Maybe these airlines are running sales to Barcelona too. Keep checking, multiple times a day...good luck and enjoy your trip.

But...but...but....I keep hearing that 270 days out is the "best day".

 

Or was it 6 weeks? Or was it 92 days? Or was it...?

 

So hard to keep track.

 

:D

[mickeysgal]

But...but...but....I keep hearing that 270 days out is the "best day".

 

Or was it 6 weeks? Or was it 92 days? Or was it...?

 

So hard to keep track.

 

:D

 

 

Yeah I know... :). Sheer coincidence that it was 100 days out. ;)

 

Best advice I've ever heard is to buy the ticket when you're happy with the price.

[6rugrats]

OP already booked flights. See post #13.

[Montana skies]

OP: You are searching price quotes in anonymous mode on your browser, aren't you? Otherwise you have cookies, and they know you are looking and shopping, and your quotes will not ever go down.

[fbgd]

OP: You are searching price quotes in anonymous mode on your browser, aren't you? Otherwise you have cookies, and they know you are looking and shopping, and your quotes will not ever go down.

 

That is utter nonsense. Do you get your tinfoil hat made at a milliner or do you craft it yourself?

[Zach1213]

OP: You are searching price quotes in anonymous mode on your browser, aren't you? Otherwise you have cookies, and they know you are looking and shopping, and your quotes will not ever go down.

 

One would think that would just drive people to a competing airline. If someone kept searching Delta and the price never went down but United's did, odds are they would go over to United.

 

I book a large number of plane tickets each year and have yet to experience any proof that cookies versus no cookies makes a different. But I am now hungry for cookies.

[JVilleGal]

Agree

[JVilleGal]

And if you have some Girl Scout cookies would you share :)

[FlyerTalker]

The cookies/prices urban legend won't die...just like the Tuesday at 10pm (and others) and 92 days (or whatever) keep kicking.

 

There is one interesting factor that I have seen. For Hertz, Avis and Sixt I have experienced higher pricing if I start with my frequent renter login as opposed to just searching "cold". Sometimes as much as 30% higher. Other folks without TFH (Tin Foil Hats) have also reported this phenomenon. I get around this by not logging in, booking the car, then going back and adding the account info. Alamo shows me lower when logged in, as does National.

 

But for airlines, no difference.

 

There may be a real reason why the price goes up for later searches....the lower buckets are selling out!!! Duh.

Edited March 22, 2016 by FlyerTalker

[waterbug123]

 

There is one interesting factor that I have seen. For Hertz, Avis and Sixt I have experienced higher pricing if I start with my frequent renter login as opposed to just searching "cold".

 

But for airlines, no difference.

 

 

Actually, just recently there was some hubbub about that happening on an airline site. Not 100% sure but pretty sure it was Delta since I don't peruse frequent flyer forums any other airlines. IIRC, what was happening was that it wasn't showing a different price per se, but rather it would show different fare buckets which of course have different prices. Logged in? It might only show a K fare, while searching cold might reveal a lower priced S fare. A couple of guys did numerous tests, saved screen shots etc. etc. and Delta basically got caught red-handed. They mumbled some sort of apology for the "systems glitch" and the "problem" was immediately fixed.

[jagoffee]

The cookies/prices urban legend won't die...just like the Tuesday at 10pm (and others) and 92 days (or whatever) keep kicking.

 

There is one interesting factor that I have seen. For Hertz, Avis and Sixt I have experienced higher pricing if I start with my frequent renter login as opposed to just searching "cold". Sometimes as much as 30% higher. Other folks without TFH (Tin Foil Hats) have also reported this phenomenon. I get around this by not logging in, booking the car, then going back and adding the account info. Alamo shows me lower when logged in, as does National.

 

But for airlines, no difference.

 

There may be a real reason why the price goes up for later searches....the lower buckets are selling out!!! Duh.

Have you tried checking prices using Costco?

[Montana skies]

Wow! A lot of emotion here. I looked this up, and the private browsing isn't so private. Oh well, at least I learned something I didn't know before! :)

[mickeysgal]

We've checked prices logged in, not logged in, from home, from work on other computers...no price difference in airlines.

[fbgd]

TFor Hertz, Avis and Sixt I have experienced higher pricing if I start with my frequent renter login as opposed to just searching "cold". Sometimes as much as 30% higher. Other folks without TFH (Tin Foil Hats) have also reported this phenomenon. I get around this by not logging in, booking the car, then going back and adding the account info. Alamo shows me lower when logged in, as does National.

 

I have noticed this too, similarly for Avis. As a BA Gold cardholder I supposedly get discounts on Avis but the handful of times I check it's more expensive than through the regular site.

 

The one aspect of travel I generally loathe is renting cars for reasons like this.

[FlyerTalker]

The one aspect of travel I generally loathe is renting cars for reasons like this.

Try AutoSlash sometime. IIRC, it was developed by a fellow from FlyerTalk.

[Bowie MeMe]

Don't go anywhere near "CheapO Air".... run!

 

THIS IS GOOD ADVICE.

Do not trust Cheapo Air. Personal experience with a very minor problem that almost cost me $2000+ (They dropped my husband's "Jr" from his name which is on his passport -- BIG problem as passport and ticket does not match)

 

Read through a sampling of this Cruise Air forum. You will recognize those who help hundreds of people here and really offer a free education in booking airlines. Trust them -- they know their stuff!

 

3rd party (cruise air, travel agencies that have gnomes, Business Class discounters (can use illegal methods--breaking rules for points transfer) and all like them give you another layer of unresponsive folks if you need service with delays, cancellations and oversells! You are a customer of the 3rd party NOT the airline. They will tell you go to your 3rd party for a solution -- Good luck on that! Hey Good Luck to you. Educate yourself so you are a good travel consumer -- or at least a better educated one.;)

[Bowie MeMe]

For Affordable one-way pricing from or to Europe - the US try Condor Air. Flew them last Summer and flew Business, great service. They have horrible reviews for Economy but for Prem Econ and Business they are affordable and the device was great!

 

And for one person on our roll call (July 2, 16 Rotterdam) scheduled a flight from BWI to Europe and got notice that the plane was rescheduled to arrive ONE day AFTER the cruise left. Really big fight to get money back even almost a year out! Condor only flies a few months of the year and they are not a regularly scheduled airline but a chartered airline so their rules are different. No other airline will honor their tickets and can only go on the few flights a week if seats available if flight changed or cancelled.

 

As some wise one here on the forum says "Are you feeling lucky?"